The invention relates to an apparatus for continuously extending ventilating conduits in mining and tunnelling conditions.
Particularly as a result of the use of propulsion machines the rates of advance when digging tunnels and galleries have been increased to such an extent that the building of the ventilating sections to extend the run of the ventilating pipe has given rise to considerable difficulties.
In such operations it is often impossible to maintain the outlet end of the ventilating conduit directly at the tunnel face. Particular difficulties also arises when there is a connection between the ventilating conduit and the propulsion machine when the propulsion machine is moved backwards. In order to ensure the maintenance of the constant distance between the ventilating outlet opening and the face prescribed by the mining authorities, nestable ventilating pipes have been used for some time as a ventilating pipe store. Ventilating pipe stores are complicated to build, are expensive to buy and awkward to use. Furthermore they can only store relatively short lengths.
In contrast to this, it is the object of the invention to provide an apparatus for continuously extending ventilating conduits which avoids the disadvantages mentioned above and which represents a simple, safe and economical solution to the continual extending of ventilating pipes.